A contemporary wave of curiosity in unionization has hit the concert-dance world. Not too long ago, dancers in firms like Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballet Austin, and Dallas Black Dance Theatre have taken steps to hitch the ranks of long-unionized firms reminiscent of American Ballet Theatre, New York Metropolis Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. All of those dancers are members of the American Guild of Musical Artists, the foremost union for live performance dancers in addition to singers and staging workers. Lecturers are getting in on the motion too, with ballet college on the College of American Ballet just lately becoming a member of AGMA.
Possibly all this information has you interested by the advantages unionization may carry to your office. In that case, right here’s the right way to get began.
What Do I Do First?
“The perfect place to get began is to get in contact with me,” says Griff Braun, AGMA’s nationwide organizing director. On the principle menu on the high of AGMA’s web site, click on the button that claims “set up.” Fill out the contact kind. Your submission will go straight to Braun, who will attain out to arrange an preliminary dialog. Braun understands that dancers can really feel apprehensive about taking even this primary step, however relaxation assured: “Any dialog with me, or with anyone from the AGMA workers, is confidential,” he says. After studying extra about you and your office, Braun can advise you on subsequent steps and reply any questions you may need concerning the unionization course of.
How A lot of My Co-Staff Must Be ?
Employers can decide to acknowledge unions voluntarily, however most frequently, they select to drive a union election supervised by the Nationwide Labor Relations Board. In an election, if a majority of employees vote in favor of the union, the employer should conform to work with the union. However that doesn’t imply you want a majority proper off the bat. “Typically, union campaigns begin with one particular person, or possibly two individuals, which can be speaking about this,” says Braun.
How Do I Know Who to Strategy?
Similar to your conversations with any AGMA workers, conversations amongst employees about unionization ought to stay confidential. “Finally, the choice of whether or not to unionize your organization or not is within the fingers of the dancers solely,” says Braun. “The administration doesn’t get a vote.”
However in the event you’re contemplating organizing a union at your office, you in all probability have a way that some dancers might be receptive—and others may be tougher to strategy. “Inside dance firms, there are sometimes dancers which can be shut with their director,” says Braun. “Typically they’re married to workers members or members of firm management, so bringing them right into a union dialog can put them in an ungainly place.” The important thing, he says, is to be strategic, and construct substantial help for the union earlier than reaching out to dancers who could also be in a delicate place. “When there’s a powerful majority of the group that is able to transfer ahead, you do wish to carry all people in,” Braun says. “And in doing this, typically the parents that you just’re involved about find yourself being very supportive.”
How Lengthy Does All This Take?
When you’re able to petition the NLRB on your union election, that course of typically takes solely a couple of month, says Braun. How lengthy it takes to succeed in that time, nonetheless, varies. “The organizing half takes the longest, and it ought to take the longest, as a result of it’s not nearly getting 50 p.c plus one so you may win an election,” says Braun. “It’s actually about organising the type of solidarity that the group of dancers might want to discount a very good contract and make constructive change of their office.” Relying in your group, the organizing part may take a couple of months or upwards of a 12 months.
Might I Face Retaliation?
“The quick model is that retaliation for union exercise is prohibited by federal legislation,” says Braun. However, sadly, it could possibly occur. As of press time, dancers from Dallas Black Dance Theatre proceed to allege that firm management retaliated after they received their union by rescinding the entire dancers’ signed affords of employment. DBDT management disputed that assertion, claiming as a substitute {that a} video posted on the dancers’ Instagram account violated the dancers’ contracts and was the rationale for termination.
If retaliation does happen, unions can file unfair labor follow prices with the NLRB, as AGMA has completed concerning DBDT’s firing of its dancers. Nevertheless, decision takes time. “Finally, the very best software employees have is the solidarity of their group,” says Braun. “That’s why it’s doubly essential that the group of dancers is ready to construct a powerful majority. That may present safety for any particular person.” Within the case of DBDT, dancers went public with their allegations of retaliation to drum up public help—one other manner union members can work collectively to guard one another. AGMA additionally issued a Do Not Work order for DBDT, which prohibits all dancers who’re members of AGMA and sister unions, together with Actor’s Fairness and SAG-AFTRA, from working with the corporate. However this kind of contentiousness isn’t essentially the norm. Braun cited Dance Theatre of Harlem as a current instance of an organization that was “welcoming and collaborative” to unionization.